Why study an MBA as an Indian student?

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) remains the most popular and prestigious business and management qualification available for aspiring postgraduate students. This is especially true for international students, with figures from the Chartered Association of Business Schools indicating that over 237,000 international students were studying business-related degrees in the UK in 2024. An MBA is often the choice of working professionals who wish to develop their careers and profile. In this guide, we explore the benefits of choosing to study for an MBA, explain what you can expect, where you can study, and the skills you will learn.

What is an MBA?

It’s useful to start with a quick definition of what an MBA qualification is. An MBA is a postgraduate degree that focuses on business management and leadership, covering a range of topics. This includes finance, marketing, operations, strategy, and human resources, equipping you with the skills to manage and lead teams, organisations and businesses, while making strategic decisions. 

An MBA is equivalent to a master’s degree and typically takes one year to complete full-time and two years if studied part-time. Many top institutions are accredited by professional bodies that endorse the quality of their degrees. It’s useful to check your prospective institution has accreditation with one or all the following bodies:

• AMBA (Association of MBAs)
• AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
• EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System)

An MBA curriculum typically includes a practical component of work experience, as well as written assignments and a dissertation.

What makes an MBA unique?

An MBA degree is a specialised degree that is designed to equip you with theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enhance your career. An MBA offers a unique focus that blends professional expertise, academic knowledge and leadership skills that are highly valued by employers. It also develops your soft skills such as collaboration, networking, confidence and communication.

An MBA not only offers the chance to improve your earnings, but also to specialise in an area that is of particular interest to you. This can include:

• International business
• General management
• Finance
• Marketing
• Human resources
• Strategic management
• Operations management

Lastly, an MBA is characterised by higher-than-average graduate employability. According to the London Business School, over 86 per cent of graduates found employment within three months of completing the degree.

What are the benefits of studying for an MBA?

There are several reasons why studying an MBA can be beneficial. From expanding your skillset to developing new knowledge, the multidisciplinary nature of the qualification is a major plus point. In addition, some of the other motivations for pursuing an MBA are:

Career development

An MBA is often the qualification of choice for working professionals aiming to progress their careers. With an emphasis on strategic management and leadership skills, MBA graduates often attract the attention of employers. MBA programmes typically offer career services, including internships, placement services, recruitment events, networking events, and mentoring programmes. These work experience and internship opportunities that form part of an MBA curriculum allow you to network within industry and potentially find employment when you graduate

Studying for an MBA is often referred to as an “investment in your future”, which refers to the earning potential that can result from obtaining the degree. The London Business School in the UK reports an average salary of GBP 99,000 for graduates, while in the USA, the average annual graduate salary stood at USD 104,000 (U.S. News & World Report).

An MBA can offer a career switch into a sector or industry that you may not have worked in before. Examples of popular industries for graduates include healthcare, IT, technology, non-profit, government, FMCGs, and banking. Some of the roles that you could take up as a graduate include:

• Management Analyst/Consultant
• Market Research Analyst
• Data Analyst
• CEO
• Operations Manager
• Bank Manager
• HR Manager
• IT Director
• CFO

An MBA degree adds prestige and credibility to your profile, while also allowing you to network and develop relationships, both locally and internationally. You can connect with peers, business leaders, alumni, faculty, and industry professionals who can become valuable contacts throughout your career. Many MBA qualifications offer international exposure, including learning global case studies and study abroad exchanges, which is a great way to understand business across cultures.

An MBA gives you a comprehensive overview of how various aspects of a business interconnect. This holistic understanding helps you see the “big picture” and contributes to better decision-making and management. It could also help you take your career global and work internationally.

Skills enhancement and specialisation

Developing real-world skills with the potential for effective use in the workplace is a hallmark of an MBA. The typical MBA curriculum structure will expose you to specialist subject areas such as human resources, finance and marketing. Typically, a general MBA is comprised of core courses and electives. Some of the core subjects you can expect to study include:

• Strategy
• Business ethics
• General management
• Data analytics
• Accounting
• Marketing
• Operations management
• Organisational management

You can then either further your understanding of one of these areas or choose a different focus with electives. These can include economics, management science, organisational behaviour and entrepreneurship, to name a few. There is also the option of pursuing a specialised MBA that focuses extensively on an area of interest you may have or aligns with your career goals. Some of the most popular MBA specialisations are:

• Consulting
• Marketing
• Finance or Fintech
• Data Analytics
• Business Analytics
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Operations Management
• Information Technology
• Human Resources
• International Business

Some universities allow you to build elements of your own curriculum and study structure to match your goals.

Personal development

One of the more overlooked plus points of an MBA is the opportunity for personal growth. An MBA qualification involves a lot of interaction with fellow students and faculty. This means your communication, collaboration and creative skills are all developed as part of the programme. You may be asked to work as part of a team or lead a group, which helps you refine your leadership, negotiation, and decision-making skills. Added to this are problem-solving, critical thinking, analytical and strategic thinking, innovation and presentation skills. This helps you to analyse complex business problems, evaluate different solutions, and implement effective strategies. This mindset is essential for driving business growth and handling competitive markets.

An MBA is a demanding degree that requires you to develop discipline and flexibility. The intensive learning environment and various classroom interactions challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, build resilience and adaptability. It sets you up to cope with challenges, broadens your outlook and the ability to work with different personalities. The personal skills you learn can be extremely valuable when entering the world of entrepreneurship, notably the overall understanding of business that you have from an MBA. This helps you see the “big picture” and contributes to better planning, strategy and management. Some universities also help promising students develop their business ideas and provide an incubator environment with some financial backing. For example, the Hatchery Programme at University College London or the Phase One Incubator Programme at the University of York.

If you choose an MBA, you’ll be undertaking a multidisciplinary degree, with a flexible curriculum and strong career prospects. It’s always useful to align and discuss your goals before choosing the type of MBA you will pursue to get the best outcome. Check with your prospective university what is offered and whether this resonates and you meet the admission requirements. If you need additional help, you can speak with one of our counsellors who can guide you through everything from programme selection to application.

FAQs

1. What MBA specialisation pays the most?
   1. According to the London School of Business and Finance, the MBA specialisations that earn graduates the highest salaries are business analytics, information technology and finance.
2. Do I need work experience for an MBA?
   1. For admission into most MBA programmes, you will need a minimum of three years of work experience to qualify. This doesn’t necessarily have to be in the same area of specialisation as your MBA.
3. What are the general entry requirements for an MBA?
   1. To qualify for an MBA, you generally need an undergraduate degree with a pass of 2:1, which is a grade of between 60 and 70 per cent, or a GPA of 3.3 to 3.8. You will also require a good level of English language ability, usually an IELTS score of 6.5 or above. Furthermore, some universities may require you to take the GRE or GMAT for admission purposes.
4. Do I need to take the GMAT for an MBA?
   1. Not necessarily. Not all universities request that you undertake the GMAT. It is offered in 114 countries and used by over 2,400 institutions both formally and informally to assess candidates. A good score for MBA admission is 650 or above.